Devotionals

Take time to read through the letter of 1 Timothy in preparation for our study over the next few months. Consider the problems and issues Paul discusses in this letter and how they manifest themselves in the church today. Ask ...Read More

Today’s passage summarizes a theme that runs throughout the Pastoral Epistles, namely, our need to guard the deposit entrusted to us. This deposit is the prophetic and apostolic word of salvation found in the Bible, which is entirely trustworthy in ...Read More

Perhaps it is better to say that new covenant believers ought never consider the Mosaic law alone. That is, we must view it through the lens of the “law of Christ” (Gal. 6:2). Jesus, when asked about the greatest commandment ...Read More

Critical to today’s passage is the understanding that the Jerusalem apostles added nothing to Paul’s gospel. Paul was called later, but that did not make his preaching deficient. At any rate, in the final analysis there are no contradictions between ...Read More

Martin Luther’s commentary on Galatians states, “Since Paul by his own experience teaches us that congregations which are won by great labor are easily and soon overthrown, we ought with singular care to watch against the devil ranging everywhere, lest ...Read More

Today’s passage reminds us of our need to read each biblical passage according to the type of literature it happens to be. For example, passages that are apocalyptic (symbolic depictions of God’s wrath and vindication) cannot be read as if ...Read More

In the days ahead we will look further at how the destruction of Jerusalem vindicates Jesus’ teaching and how it resulted from the nation’s rejection of the Messiah. For now, be reminded of the disaster that ensues when we refuse ...Read More

Jesus words in today’s passage indicate that it is not necessarily wrong for believers to flee when calamity comes or when men rise to persecute the church. Certainly, if we are caught we must be willing to die for Jesus; ...Read More

The fact that the Gospel had been proclaimed to the Roman world by the late middle of the first century does not mean that the task of world evangelization has been completed. People from every tribe, nation, and tongue will ...Read More

When we study Scripture, we should be careful not to let the excesses of opposing positions unduly influence our own applications of the text. All the teachings of those with whom we disagree may not necessarily be wrong, and we ...Read More